When Zohran Mamdani became the front runner in the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City, MAGA fans inundated social media with Islamophobic posts, most prominently, manipulated photos of the Statue of Liberty sporting a burqa. Even though final tallies were not yet in, Mamdani’s commanding lead had induced his primary adversary, former governor Andrew Cuomo, to concede.
Mamdani, 33, would be San Jose’s first Muslim mayor if he won. His religion and Gujarati Muslim heritage became targets of hate on social media. Among the hate-mongers was far-right Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who posted a digitally manipulated picture of the Statue of Liberty wearing a black burqa.
MAGA ally Don Keith also shared the photo, writing in a sarcastic tone: “Congratulations New York.”
Photos of Mamdani dressed in the kurta-pajama outfit were shared with hashtags such as “Never Forget,” a nod to the September 11 terrorist attacks perpetrated by al-Qaeda, fueling Islamophobic hate.
Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, has been a vocal critic of Republican leader Donald Trump for long. He has also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly and defended Palestinian nationalism, which added to right-wing venom.
Symbolism of the Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France in 1886, is a permanent symbol of freedom, democracy, and hope for immigrants coming to America. Its designer was French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and it was engineered by Gustave Eiffel. It has turned out to be one of the most well-known landmarks in New York.
Notably, as documented in a Smithsonian Magazine report, the statue was initially conceived as that of a Muslim woman. Bartholdi initially suggested the monument as a veiled Egyptian peasant woman inspired by the ancient colossal statues to commemorate industrial advancement.
This less well-known origin brings an element of irony to recent right-wing furor. While extremists try to hijack the Statue of Liberty to strike back at Mamdani, his beginnings might be more culturally tied to his descent than they know.